Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

• Flemish Tart au Chocolat •

Whew . . . what a week!
This week has been one of those weeks that just wouldn't quit! We all have them I know, when no matter how organised you are, no matter how much time there is . . . there just never seems to be enough of it! As such this week's column will be fairly short and sweet.

I was emailed Jane C asking if I knew of a recipe for 'nougatine pie'. It seems friends of hers adored it when they lived in Belgium and she wanted to make one as a surprise at her next dinner party. Not wanting to let her down, I searched my files and hey presto there it was. Which is the very recipe I am sharing with you this week.

Last week it was for the 'ultimate' in chocolate cake recipes <click here> which I hope you have tried . . . and now agree (with me) that all those other recipes you have for chocolate cake are obsolete. This week's recipe is a nice follow on as being from Belgium this tart also features chocolate.

I also had the great privilege of watching the movie 'Chocolat' on Sky TV this week. A very entertaining, if not slightly weird movie. It's a movie I have been meaning to re-watch for a while as I am always being emailed asking for recipes from the movie This weekend then I intend to snap in the video and pick out what I can from the film, and will be bringing you very soon recipes for the dishes, etc featured in the film.

For previous article featuring 'Chocolat' <click here>

I will also be giving you tips on how to handle and work with chocolate in all its guises and explaining just what all the different chocolates are, do and their properties. But here is a tempter for you . . .

. . . did you know that white chocolate is not really 'chocolate' at all and why it has a totally different taste. Don't believe me? Join me next week then to find out the reasons for this statement.

Flemish Tart au Chocolat - Nougatine and Chocolate Tart

This recipe requires a blind baked pastry case (sweet / sugar pastry) <click here>

Ingredients

Nougatine:
castor sugar	150	gm
water	50	ml
butter	50	gm
almonds - sliced	1/2	cup
Filling:
chocolate	175	gm
eggs	2	pc
egg yolks	4	pc
sugar	120	gm
cream		sq

Method

Nougatine:

1. In a large heavy saucepan place the sugar and water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves
2. Allow to simmer, (without any further stirring) until the syrup lightly caramelises and turns a golden brown - while this is happening dip a clean pastry brush in a cup of warm water and wash down the sides of the pan to remove any sugar crystals
3. Immediately remove the heat once lightly caramelised and add the butter (Caution: the mixture may bubble up at this point- hence the large pan required)
4. Add the sliced almonds and stir to coat the all almonds with the caramel
5. Spoon the mixture into the blind baked pastry case; spreading it as evenly
   as possible

Chocolate filling:

1. Place the chocolate in a bain marie (a metal bowl placed over a pan of simmering water) and slowly melt stirring occasionally until smooth and fully melted
2. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, egg yolk and the sugar until it has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when allowed to drop onto itself
3. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in approximately 1/3 of the melted chocolate
4. Gently but thoroughly fold in half the remaining chocolate and then the second half
5. Spoon onto the nougatine-lined flan case and smooth evenly with the back of a wet metal spoon
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 160°C, until the top is no longer shiny and the edges of the filling are just barely set
7. Remove from the oven ands place on a wire cooling and allow to cool completely before removing from the tin
   

Chef's Tip:

For tips on beating fluffy egg whites for meringue, etc <click here>

For tips on melting chocolate <click here>

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 02 June 2003